California Gets An 'A' For American History
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A new survey says California's education system makes the national honor roll when it comes to teaching our kids about U.S. history.
According to a report from the Fordham Institute on the State of our History Standards, only South Carolina holds its schools to higher academic standards for teaching history.
The rest of the nation, however, may want to consider summer school: an overwhelming majority of states received either a 'D' or 'F' in the nationwide survey.
Mike Petrilli, the Executive Vice President of Fordham Institute tells KNX 1070 that with such low standards in our classrooms, it's no wonder that many Americans know so little about our nation's past.
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While Petrilli cautions that "state standards in and of themselves don't guarantee exemplary student achievement", he does say that they do establish a positive path toward learning about America's sociopolitical heritage.
Petrilli says he hopes other states will use California as an example to establish standards in a subject that is essential to an educated citizenry.
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